P-EBT card showing in Informed Delivery but didn't arrive in mail today - what's happening?

this happens with informed delivery all the time!! sometimes it shows up the next day. usps takes pictures of mail early in sorting but it doesn't always get delivered same day. wait at least 2 days b4 panicking

According to the P-EBT information page, once a card shows in Informed Delivery, it typically arrives within 1-3 business days. The USPS scanning system processes mail before it's sorted for actual delivery routes, which is why there can be a delay between when you see it in Informed Delivery and when it physically arrives. If it doesn't arrive within 3 business days, you should contact the P-EBT hotline at 877-328-9677. Just to clarify, are you waiting for a new card or a replacement? The timeframes can be different.

This is super common with Informed Delivery and P-EBT cards specifically. The USPS system photographs the mail at regional centers before it gets to your local post office, and sometimes there's a 1-2 day lag. I've seen this happen with important documents many times. One important note: when it does arrive, activate it immediately! The P-EBT cards now expire if not activated within 30 days of receipt (new rule for 2025). Also, take a photo of the card front and back after activation in case you need to replace it later.

Don't panic yet!!! I swear the same thing happened to me TWICE with my daughter's P-EBT. Informed Delivery showed it but nothing in mailbox that day. First time it came the next day, second time it took TWO more days after showing in Informed Delivery. The most frustrating part is you can't even track it properly like a package. Mail is a DISASTER these days - half my bills show up late, packages get delivered to wrong addresses, and important docs take forever. If it doesn't come by Friday definitely call the hotline though.

OMG JUST HAPPENED TO ME LAST WEEK!! The informed delivery showed my son's card on Tuesday but it didn't come until THURSDAY!! I was freaking out thinking someone stole it from my mailbox or something! The P-EBT customer service line is IMPOSSIBLE to get through to though. I spent 3 hours trying before I gave up and then the card showed up anyway. If you need to actually talk to someone at P-EBT customer service, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through after I wasted HOURS trying to call myself. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and their website is claimyr.com. They called the line for me and then called me back when they got a real person. Saved me so much frustration!

mine never showed in informed delivery at all and just randomly showed up one day lol the whole system is so unpredictable

Just updating with some current information: According to a CalFresh eligibility worker I spoke with last week, P-EBT deliveries have been delayed throughout California due to the high volume of cards being sent out for the 2024-2025 school year. The typical delay between Informed Delivery notification and actual delivery has increased to 2-4 business days currently. Also important to note: Make sure your address is current with your child's school district, as P-EBT uses that database for mailings. If you've moved since enrollment, that could cause additional delays or redirection.

So glad your card finally arrived! This is such a common issue and it's really stressful when you're depending on those benefits. For anyone else dealing with this - I've found that checking with your local post office can sometimes help too. Sometimes they hold mail for a day if there's a substitute carrier who isn't familiar with the route. Also, just a heads up that once you activate the card, it can take up to 24 hours for the benefits to actually be accessible, so don't panic if it doesn't work immediately at the store!

This thread is so reassuring! I just went through the exact same thing last month with my daughter's P-EBT card. It showed up in Informed Delivery on a Wednesday but didn't actually arrive until Friday. I was checking the mailbox obsessively every few hours! One thing I learned from calling the P-EBT hotline (after waiting on hold for over an hour) is that they can actually see in their system when the card was mailed out versus when USPS scanned it for Informed Delivery. The representative told me there's often a 2-3 day gap between those two events during busy periods. Also want to echo what others said about activating immediately - I made the mistake of waiting a week to activate thinking the benefits would still be there, and apparently there are new rules about timing that I wasn't aware of. Luckily everything worked out fine but lesson learned!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my P-EBT card showed up in Informed Delivery yesterday but still hasn't arrived. Reading everyone's experiences is really reassuring that this seems to be totally normal with the current mail delays. I had no idea about the 30-day activation rule that someone mentioned - that's really important info that I don't think is clearly communicated anywhere! Also didn't know about the 24-hour delay for benefits to become accessible after activation. These are the kinds of details that make such a difference when you're actually trying to use these benefits. Thanks to everyone sharing their timelines and tips. It's so stressful when you're counting on these benefits for groceries, especially with how expensive everything has gotten. This community is amazing for getting real practical advice from people who've actually been through it!